The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-05-26

gals addressed a large audience at
Abilene, Kansas, Friday evening, May
10th, on Woman Suffrage. Senator
Ingalls, said:
'MF. President. Ladies and Gentlemen or
Being aware of the deep concern
manifested by the ladies of Abilene in
the question of equal suffrage, and feel
ing, myself, great interest in the re-
suit of the experiment that Is now be-
ing tried in Kansas, intend this even
ing to state q few reasons that con-
trolled me as one OF your representa-
tives in Congress in voting against
THE INTENDED SIXTEENTH AMEND
AENT
to the constitution of the United
States, proposing to remove the restrict
ions, either by the United States or
any state, upon the rights of voting on
account of sex-not by way of excul-
patton, or for the purpose of justifying
myself in the presence of a portion of
my constituents, who have long honor
ed me with their confidence. and whose
good opinion and favorable judgment /
am sincerely sohcitous to retain.
1T was perhaps Superhuous and UNI
necessary that should say that my at
titude here this evening Is not to be
apologize or eXculpatory, for if there
had been such trait in which the peO-
pie of Kansas, above all others, excel,
it is
THE TRAIT OF MORAL COURAGE.
''The courage to think and to act for
themselves. What they think is right,
without pausing to inquire whether it
may be popular, and if there be any
quality in my estimation for which a
public servant will be called upon to
put himself on the defensive before a
Kansas constituency, it is the intrepid,
faithful, honest and upright discharge
of public duty;
1T has not been my habit, fellow
citizens, to consult
THE POLITICAL WEATHER BUREAU
to ascertain whether there was to be
an area of low barometer followed by
local showers and succeeded by a cold
wave in my vicinity before making up
my mind on any of the great questions
of the day. L have preferred to fix my
course by the steadfast sun rather than
by the clouds that sometimes obscure
the light of that luminary and it has
not been my habit to stand on my door
stone and consult all the weather cocks
on church spires and all the tin zoos
tiers on my neighbours barns to ascer-
tain the current of the atmosphere be-
fore deciding whether to vote yea or
nay upon any question pertaining to
the rights and
THE WELFARE OF ALL KANSAS
and the happiness and prosperity of
this great nation OF over 6O,OOO,O 900 OF
freemen.
And hence it is, fellow citizens, as l
said, that my attitude is neither apollo
getic nor eXculpatory. l shall en-
deavor to treat this subject in strictly
judicial aspect, not obScured by senti-
ment or by fancy or by ridicule or by
emotions, for feel nothing but pro-
found respect for the advocates of the
movement that is known as that for
equal and impartial suffrage, or that of
extending the right of voting to wO-
men.
''Let us consider for moment what
are the objects and
PURPOSES OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
Among men they are not obscure
nor difficult to understand nor myster-
ious. They are simply aplan of govern
ment intended to secure the widest posi-
BILE diffusion of civil or political rights
amongth body of citizens accompanied
by guarantee of the protection of life,
the preservation of liberty and the Sc
curity of property. = Government is in
tended to secure to each individual the
largest possible liberty consistent with
the general good. To every laboring
man should be allowed reasonable
wages for voluntary labor. The means
of knowledge should be as wide as the
desire to know, and
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HAPPINESS
should be commensurate with the capa-
city to enjoy. This world is good
deal governed by phrases. And there
is one phrase used in connection with
government that has done much mis-
chief, and that is that all just govern
ments depend upon the consent of the
governed. This is fallacy. Govern
ment does not depend upon the consent
of the governed. In it's last analysis
government depends upon force, the
majority consenting to rule the
minority and the minority obeying be-
| cause
THEY ARE COMPELLED TO OBEY.
"Why is it that the citizens of Abb
system of grand and petty larceny that
goes by the name of taxation? Because
| they consent? No, it is because the
man who is taxed knows that I'M
less he pays his tax the collector will
appear, and if he refuses to pay that
| the property will be exposed for sale
and that the sheriff will make a deed
of his property to another. That if he
refuses at the expiration of the lawful
time to abandon his property to the
purchaser by
THE sHERIFF's DEED
that he will be elected and shot. If
! the sheriff is not strong enough the
posse cOmitatus will be called upon; if
| it fails, that there will be a call made
upon the Governor for militia; if
| there is not sufficient force in the mill
! tia, that the Government of the United
| States, with the beak and claw of ma
tional power, and the army and the
navy, stands ready to enforce the de-
cree of the law. We had another Illus
| tratiOn about the Government resting
upon the consent of the governed not a
great while ago. Eleven states in the
South thought that government rested
on
THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED.
''They were discontinued with the act
ion of the majority electing Abraham
Lincoln President, and they sought to
exercise their consent by peaceably
withdrawing from the Union of the
States. My impression is that before
the close of that controversy they be-
came convinced, as have stated, that
just government rests not upon the con-
sent of the governed, but rests upon
force.
"Why do 1 allude to this in connec-
ton with this subject here tonight? 1t
is for the purpose of announcing this
aphorism, and that is that in this gov
eminent none of the citizens should be
allowed to participate either in the
enactment of laws or the formation of
legislation
WHO CANNOT ENFORCE THEIR ACTION
at the point of the bayonet if necessary.
If i saw fit to pause here might leave
this argument without further deduc-
ton. That in all governments, in all
ages, from the remOtest antiquity no
class has ever been permitted to
participate in legislation nor in
politics that has not been able
to enforce and defend its institu-
tiOns and legislation by force-physi-
cal force. That was the process of all
barbarous nations. But in latter times
metaphysics has interfered and the
struggle for supremacy by physical
force has ceased, and what have we in
its place? Mere computation. The
idea that the
MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO PARTICI-
PATED.
will generally, uniformly be found to
be the strongest, society has agreed to
count instead of to fight. We have
mafhpmatic for OuUiliSm